DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will close the 2020 calendar year on Tuesday afternoon, December 22, when the Huskies travel to Toledo to meet the Rockets. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3.
The Huskies enter Tuesday's game on the heels of a 64-54 victory over Chicago State (Dec. 18). Sophomore
Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) returned to action against the Cougars and posted his second career double-double with a career-high tying 15 points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
Cochran was one of four Huskies in double figures against Chicago State, along with juniors
Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois),
Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) and
Adong Makuoi (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada/Daytona State College). Beane scored 13 points against the Cougars, Hankerson had 12 and Makuoi chipped in 11 as NIU had four double figure scorers in a game for the first time this season.
Makuoi went 5-of-7 from the field against Chicago State and is shooting 63.3 percent from the field on the season, fifth-best in the Mid-American Conference. The Canadian center is averaging 10.0 points per game over the last four contests.
NIU's last six trips to Toledo's Savage Arena have been decided by an average of 3.7 points, with none of those games having been decided by more than five points. The Huskies are 4-2 in the last six meetings at Toledo, including a 66-61 victory last season (Feb. 4, 2020). NIU has a three-game win streak in the series overall, including a win in the 2019 MAC Tournament Quarterfinals in Cleveland and a season sweep a year ago.
The Rockets bring a 6-3 overall record into Tuesday's contest after topping Valparaiso, 71-57, last time out (Dec. 19). Toledo is 1-0 in league play having bettered Eastern Michigan, 91-74, on December 4. Four players are scoring in double figures for Toledo, led by 16.6 points per game from Marreon Jackson. Setric Millner Jr. adds 15.4 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per contest, Ryan Rollins is averaging 13.6 points per game and Spencer Littleson is scoring 10.6 points per contest.
After its trip to Toledo, NIU will be off until the new year, returning to action on Saturday, January 2 when the Huskies host Bowling Green.
